English 2264 Introduction to Popular Culture

Dr. Sara Crosby, 3 credit hours

English 2264 Introduction to Popular Culture:

Fandom Rules

In this class, we’ll examine the phenomenon of American “popular culture” by focusing on its strangest and most dynamic aspect: fan culture. One could argue that all fiction is fan fiction and that every film is a fan film, but this is explicitly true of many popular productions, which emerge out of an interaction with a restless public. We’ll investigate the nature of that interaction and figure out its rules and its mysterious purposes and effects. As we sweep through American history, you’ll learn about the origins of American pop culture and fandom (in sensational murder coverage and minstrel shows) and then track them through the dawn of Hollywood’s celebrity culture and into the internet and comic-con era with its explosion of fan-produced content. By the end of the course, you’ll participate in this process, too, by creating your own short fan fic or film.